Remember Me
by Evesyface
Summary: Following an almost fatal car crash, Elena Gilbert loses a whole year worth of memories... including the day she met her beloved boyfriend, Damon Salvatore. Will true love be enough to bring them back together?
1. Chapter 1

"What should we do tonight?" Elena turned to face her incredibly hot boyfriend, who was staring intently at the road in front of him. He had one hand on the wheel and another currently intertwined with hers.

"What we always do?" He smirked, squeezing her hand. "Go home and…"

Elena felt her cheeks going warm as she finished his sentence in her head. She knew exactly what he was referring to. Most nights they just ended up in his bedroom, their bodies keeping each other warm under the sheets…

"I heard Caroline is having a party at hers. We could make an appearance there?"

Damon let out a groan, "Do we have to? I'm not sure I'm in the mood to pretend I enjoy spending time with vampire barbie. And don't get me started on your witch friend."

"Bonnie. Her name is Bonnie and she's my _best_ friend." Elena rolled her eyes and released her hand from Damon's grip, sighing loudly. " _Please_ , Damon? I want to go and I want you to be there."

After a little more convincing, which included a promise that he would get _something_ in return later in the night, Damon changed his course and instead started driving towards Caroline's house. It took them no longer than thirty minutes to finally pull into her driveway, behind a number of other cars. Damon didn't hide his disappointment that he would be spending the night surrounded by high schoolers.

"We still have an opportunity to get back in the car and go back to mine," He whispered, wrapping his arms around Elena's waist and pulling her towards him. Damon leaned in and placed his lips against her ear, "I could show you an even better time in my bed..."

Elena inhaled the familiar smell of her supernaturally handsome boyfriend and felt herself tempted by his offer. If it wasn't for her best friend, Bonnie Bennett, coming to the door she probably would've found herself in Damon's bed all night. As usual.

"Elena?" Bonnie shot Damon a disgusted look before smiling warmly at her best friend, "I didn't know you were coming!"

"Neither did she." Damon responded, releasing Elena's waist and instead wrapping an arm around her shoulders, "And if it were up to me, we'd be somewhere else right now."

"At an old people's home?" Bonnie responded without missing a beat, "Because that's where you belong. How old are you now anyway? 300?"

"170 actually, Bon-" Damon began, before being interrupted by a finger on his lips.

"Let's go inside!" Elena exclaimed, sighing deeply before pushing her two favourite people inside.

* * *

The party was buzzing. Elena had never seen her friend's house so full. There were a number of faces she recognised around the room, all smiling knowingly at her when their eyes met. Some of them, the ones she knew well, raised their cups up at her.

"Elena! Bonnie!" A high-pitched voice screamed, "You guys made it!"

Before Elena even had time to register the voice, she found herself being hugged tightly by Caroline. Damon took a step back awkwardly, not wanting to be pulled into the hug.

"Hey Care." Bonnie responded, "Thanks for inviting us along tonight."

"Um, of course!" Caroline beamed, "As if I would have a party without inviting my two best friends!"

Elena and Bonnie exchanged awkward glances before finally being released from Caroline's grip.

"Looks like a great party, Care." Elena quickly smiled at Damon who rolled his eyes in response, "Did you set it up yourself?"

"Of course I did!" Caroline laughed, "You really think anyone else at our school could have pulled _this_ off?"

Before anyone could respond, Elena's ex-boyfriend Matt appeared behind Caroline. He shot Damon a dirty look before leaning in and whispering something into Caroline's ear. Elena looked up at her current boyfriend apologetically, but Damon didn't seem phased at all. It wasn't exactly a secret that none of Elena's friends were fans of her boyfriend.

"Are you _kidding_ me?" Caroline let out a loud groan, "We're out of ice already?! I can't just leave my own party to go and get ice… Where's Tyler? Wasn't he bringing more?"

"Tyler isn't coming." Matt said quietly, "He's, uh, hanging out with Vicki."

"I can go and pick some up, if you want?" Elena suggested when nobody said anything. "I'll go quickly now and be back in 5."

Elena bee lined out the door, Damon close on her heels.

"You stay here," Elena said, reaching into Damon's pocket for his keys. "I'll be back in 5!"

"You're kidding, right?" Damon laughed, "What am I supposed to do while you're getting ice? _Talk_ to people?"

"That's exactly what you're supposed to do." Elena climbed into the car and started the engine. She winded down the window to kiss her boyfriend goodbye before reversing out of the driveway.

* * *

"Hey, Elena. It's Damon. Your boyfriend. Just thought I'd remind you that you've left me stranded at this pathetic excuse for a party for over an hour now. Hurry up and come and save me from this hell. Thanks." Damon let out a small sigh before sliding his phone back into his pocket. It had been a little over an hour since he had watched Elena reverse out of the driveway, smiling at him mischievously. He spent most of the time following Bonnie around, trying to pretend he didn't hate everyone at the party with every fibre of his being.

"Seriously, Bon-Bon. Where's Elena? Is she responding to your messages?" Damon snatched Bonnie's phone out of her hands and opened up her messages. He let out a small laugh when he saw she had been exchanging steamy messages with some boy, but frowned again when he realised Elena hadn't been responding to her either.

"You're the most annoying person I have ever met." Bonnie growled, snatching her phone back. "I'm sure Elena's fine. She probably just got lost on her way back."

"Ah, yes. You're probably right, Bon." Damon responded sarcastically, "She got lost on the way back to her best friend's house. A house that is located in the town that she has been living in for seventeen years. I'm sure she just got _lost_."

"I don't know what you want me to tell you, Damon! I don't know where she is." Bonnie cried out, frustrated.

"I want you to do a location spell, little witch." Damon demanded impatiently.

Bonnie looked up at Damon and examined his face. She sighed, defeated, when she really saw how worried he was. Without wasting another second, Bonnie grabbed his hand and led him into Caroline's bedroom.

"I'll need something of Elena's for the spell," Bonnie began, before being interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. Damon stared angrily at the phone, then back at Bonnie, hoping that she would just ignore it.

"It's Jeremy." Bonnie said quietly, staring at the caller-ID. "He never calls me…"

Damon was suddenly filled with dread. He had a feeling that whatever Jeremy needed to say wasn't going to be good news.

"Pick it up, Bon."

"J-Jeremy? Is everything okay?" Bonnie felt her heart in her throat. "I-Is Elena okay?"

Damon focused in on the sound of Jeremy's voice on the other line.

"It's bad, Bonnie." Jeremy sounded as if he was barely holding it together, "She was hit by a truck that lost control. They're prepping her for surgery as we speak."

Before Bonnie even had a chance to look at Damon, he was gone. All he left behind was a cool breeze that sent shivers down Bonnie's spine.

* * *

"Where is she?" Damon pushed his way past a number of the hospital staff, searching in each of the rooms he passed for his beloved girlfriend. "Where _is_ she?!"

It wasn't until he finally set his sights on Jeremy Gilbert, Elena's younger brother, that he managed to calm down a little. Jeremy was sitting down outside one of the rooms, his head in his hands. There was no one else with him – Bonnie hadn't made it yet and Damon didn't know where Aunt Jenna, their guardian, was.

"Jeremy," Damon rushed to his side, taking the seat next to him. The two of them had never gotten along, to Elena's dismay, but Damon would be lying if he said he didn't feel sorry for Jeremy in this moment. "How's Elena doing?"

"Not great," Jeremy responded quietly. He sounded completely defeated. "She's in surgery. They keep saying they're doing everything they can."

The two of them sat in silence for what felt like forever before Bonnie and Aunt Jenna finally showed up. Jeremy perked up a bit at the sight of them, probably happy to see people he actually liked. Damon stood up and signalled for Aunt Jenna to take the seat next to Jeremy. "How is she?" Bonnie whispered, grabbing Damon's hand and pulling him away from Jeremy and Jenna. She watched on sadly as Jeremy completely broke down and cried as Jenna held him.

"I don't know. Jeremy says she is in sur-" Damon started, but quickly shutting his mouth. He watched as a surgeon approached Jeremy and Jenna. Her face was unreadable, but Damon could hear exactly what she was saying.

"She's okay," She began, causing Damon to sigh in relief. "She's going to be okay."

Without even thinking, Damon wrapped his arms around Bonnie and pulled her in tightly.

"Elena's okay." Damon laughed into her hair, happy tears streaming out of his eyes.

* * *

 _A Week Later_

Elena's head was spinning as her eyes slowly started to open. The first thing she registered was how bright the room she was in was. All the walls around her, and even the door, were painted white. There was a mirror in the corner of her room where Elena caught her reflection. She stared at herself for a moment, noting how beaten up she looked.

"W-where am I?" Elena whispered to herself, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Elena?" Damon sat up suddenly, surprised by the sound of his girlfriend finally speaking. It had been a week since he had heard her voice. It was one of the longest weeks of his life. "You're finally awake."

Elena stared back at the dark, mysterious man at her bedside. She furrowed her eyebrows, but said nothing.

"How are you feeling?" Damon reached for Elena's hand, but she pulled away. Silence filled the room as the two of them just stared at each other.

"I'm sorry…" Elena muttered under her breath, narrowing her eyes at Damon. "Am I supposed to know who you are?"

It was in that moment that Damon's world stopped spinning. He felt as if everything around him had just stopped moving. The only thing he could see was Elena, his beloved girlfriend, staring back at him as if he were a complete stranger.


	2. Chapter 2

_A Year Ago_

"Bonnie, where are you? It's dark and it's cold and I just want to go home. You promised you would come and pick me up an hour ago!" Elena let out a desperate sigh before putting her phone away in her back pocket. It was 8PM on Friday night and Elena had just broken up with her quarterback boyfriend, Matt. They had only been dating a couple of months, but Elena always felt like they were better off as friends. Matt had taken the break up surprisingly well and promised he would try and not let it make their long-time friendship _too_ awkward. Elena hoped he meant it.

"Hey," A mysterious figure emerged from the darkness, his striking blue eyes the first thing that Elena noticed. "You really shouldn't be out here alone like this. It isn't safe for a girl."

"Why?" Elena suddenly felt frustrated. "Because creepy guys like you might come and annoy me?"

The mysterious figure looked taken aback for a moment before letting out a small laugh. Elena noted that his teeth were incredibly sharp. They resembled that of a vampire's.

"I'm Damon. Damon Salvatore."

"Salvatore? Like Stefan Salvatore? Are you his brother or something?" Elena finally turned to properly face Damon, letting out a small gasp when she noticed how sexy he actually was. He was wearing tight jeans that didn't leave much up to the imagination, paired with a thin, black v neck shirt that complimented his torso nicely. He looked completely different from his brother who wore plaid shirts and had a much friendlier smile. Damon's smile was more… _mischievous_. Elena couldn't decide if she was scared or insanely attracted to him.

"That'd be me. The older, much hotter brother." Damon's eyes smouldered seductively at Elena as he took a step closer to her, "Why? Has he been talking about me? All good things, I hope."

"He hasn't mentioned you at all actually," Elena flashed a fake smile at Damon before taking a couple of steps away, creating a gap between them again. "I didn't even know Stefan had a brother."

Damon clutched his chest and pretended that Elena's words had actually offended him. They hadn't, of course. It took a lot more than that to offend Damon.

"Well, he's mentioned _you_. You're Elena Gilbert." Damon's voice was low now, almost at a whisper. "Sweet and compassionate Elena. You've definitely caught Stefan's attention. If only you weren't dating the quarterback…"

Elena felt her cheeks go warm. She hoped that it was too dark for Damon to notice, but his cheeky smile told her that it wasn't. He noticed.

"I'm not dating the quarterback." Elena was whispering now too. "Not anymore."

Damon's eyebrows shot up as he narrowed his eyes at Elena, "Why not?"

Elena sighed before taking a seat on the path, her feet planted on the road. There weren't any cars coming by at this time of night, not in her town. Most people were in their houses by now having dinner with their families. If they weren't doing that, they were at the Mystic Grill grabbing a bite to eat or a drink with their friends. Everyone in Mystic Falls was so predictable.

"Why should I tell you anyway?" Elena hugged her knees to her chest and reached for her phone in her pocket. Still no call from Bonnie. "You don't look like someone who is particularly interested in high school drama."

Damon took a seat next to Elena on the cold pavement. He studied her, taking note of her striking features. Elena had beautifully tanned skin paired with dark hair and eyes. Her long hair fell comfortably down to her hips while her eyes looked as if they had seen more than most people her age. There was sadness in them, but it was masked by kindness and a strength that Damon hadn't seen since… his ex-girlfriend, Katherine. He hadn't noticed it when he first laid his eyes upon her, but Elena looked identical to Katherine. Something that Stefan had conveniently forgotten to mention.

"I know why you two broke up." Damon began, finally tearing his eyes away from Elena. He stared now at the empty road that seemed to be never-ending. "You wanted more. No, you _needed_ more."

"What are you talking about?" It was Elena's turn to study Damon again. She studied his eyes. Damon looked dark and mysterious, but his eyes betrayed him. There was something more within them, something that reflected emotions that Elena had never seen before. She saw anger and hurt, but what shocked her the most was that she saw love. It was buried, but his eyes undoubtedly reflected a love he once felt for someone. Someone that had hurt him.

"The blue-eyed quarterback didn't love you like you wanted to be loved. His love was tame. Safe." Damon continued, his eyes finally meeting Elena's. He smirked when he saw her cheeks go red. "But you want more than that. You want a love that _consumes_ you. You want passion, adventure and maybe even a little danger…"

Elena felt her mouth drop open ever so slightly. Damon was exactly right. She did want more. No, she _needed_ more. Elena loved Matt with all of her heart, but it was never going to be anything more than platonic. Matt didn't challenge her. There was no passion between them, only friendship. It was safe, sure, but Elena wanted more than that. She stared at Damon without saying a word. He stared back, smiling at her seductively. When neither of them dropped their gaze, Damon begun to lean in, his lips almost brushing against Elena's. She could feel his warm breath against her face. Her heart was racing, she had never wanted to kiss someone as badly as she wanted to kiss Damon in this moment. Elena shut her eyes and waited for their lips to finally touch… and then her phone started vibrating. It was Bonnie.

"B-Bonnie?" Elena's entire body was trembling. She had been _so_ close to kissing Damon…

"Elena! I am SO sorry. I fell asleep studying for history. I am on my way to pick you up now!" Bonnie was puffing. It sounded as if she had just been running. "I'll be there in 5! Don't go anywhere!"

Elena hung up the phone and put it back into her pocket. She opened her mouth to say something to Damon, but he was already gone. She was standing by herself again in the dark, a cool breeze tickling her skin.

"Nice to meet you…" Elena whispered under her breath, "Damon Salvatore."

* * *

"You met Elena the night she broke up with Matt?" Bonnie raised her eyebrows, "She never mentioned you. Not for another month after that at least."

Damon had just finished telling Bonnie about the night he first met Elena. The two of them were sitting on the chairs outside of Elena's room while Jeremy, Jenna and Elena's surgeon all discussed the possibility of Elena being discharged from the hospital. It had been a couple of days since she first opened her eyes, but she needed to be monitored. They all needed to discuss what to do about Elena's memory loss, and more importantly, what to do about Damon.

"We decided to keep our meeting a secret for a while," Damon smiled to himself, "Elena wasn't sure you guys would like me too much."

Bonnie shifted uncomfortably in her seat but said nothing. She couldn't deny that Damon was the most annoying, rude and inconsiderate person she had ever met. She couldn't deny that all of her friends felt exactly the same way about him. But over the past couple of days, Bonnie had seen a side of Damon that she was sure not many people got to see. The side of Damon that Elena somehow managed to see, when no one else could.

"I'm so sorry this is happening to you." Bonnie said finally, "Maybe her memories will come back. I'm sure she just needs time."

"Maybe." Damon responded, not sounding convinced.

Their conversation was cut short by Jeremy finally emerging from Elena's room. Damon stood up and approached him, waiting eagerly for him to say something.

"What's the deal then, little Gilbert?" Damon tried his best not to sound impatient, but failed miserably. "Does Elena want me around or not?"

"We all… Dr. Stephenson, Jenna and I, decided that it would be better if you kept your distance for a little while." Jeremy dropped his gaze to the floor, not able to meet Damon's eyes.

"Believe it or not, Jerbear," Damon took a step towards him, "I don't really care what you all think. What does Elena want?"

Bonnie stood up now, walking over to Jeremy's side. She could sense that Damon was becoming angry – and Damon being angry never ended well for anyone.

"She…" Jeremy took a deep breath, "She agrees with us. She wants you to keep your distance, at least until she can wrap her head around all of this."

Bonnie took a step in front of Jeremy, protectively, as she watched a myriad of emotions flash over Damon's face: disbelief, anger, confusion and then finally, hurt. None of them said anything for a long moment. None of them even moved. It wasn't until Damon finally took a step towards the window to Elena's room that Bonnie stopped holding her breath. She reached out for Jeremy's hand and squeezed it, relieved that Damon didn't do anything stupid to hurt him out of anger.

"I guess I'll be going then," Damon said bitterly as he stared at his girlfriend sleeping peacefully in her hospital bed. His heart longed for her unconditional love and his whole body longed for her gentle touch. It physically hurt him to see her there, alive, and not be able to express his love for her.

"I'm so sorry, Dam-" Bonnie started, before being interrupted by his hands on her shoulders.

"Look after her for me okay, Bon?" He stared down at her seriously, his hands gripping her tightly. Before Bonnie even had a chance to open her mouth, Damon was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

"How long was I dating Damon?" Elena placed her fork down next to her empty plate and looked up at her best friend who was finishing a mouthful of scrambled eggs. Bonnie's eyes widened at the bluntness of Elena's question. It was the first time that she had even mentioned Damon since the accident. Neither of them had seen Damon around town in weeks. He was told to stay away from Elena and that's exactly what he did.

"I'm not sure when you and Damon officially started dating…" Bonnie said quietly, "I think you kept it a secret for a little while. That's something you'd have to ask Damon."

"Have you seen him lately?" Elena frowned. "Do you think he's been avoiding Mystic Falls just because we asked him to stay away from me for a little while?"

"I think he's been avoiding Mystic Falls because _you_ asked him to stay away for a little while." Bonnie corrected her, "Damon would do anything for you."

Elena's face went warm. She made the choice not to talk or even ask about Damon as soon as she was discharged from the hospital. Everyone in her life, her friends and family especially, were more than happy to oblige. It didn't take long for Elena to realise that none of them liked Damon very much.

"I don't think I'm ready to face him just yet." Elena whispered, dropping her gaze. "I'm still… trying to wrap my head around the fact that there's a whole year of my life missing."

Bonnie reached out for Elena's hand and squeezed it in her own, smiling reassuringly at her best friend. It was easy to see the confusion, frustration and hurt in Elena's eyes. Bonnie could tell that Elena wanted more than anything to remember everything that she had forgotten.

"I've looked at the photos of Damon and I together over and over." Elena admitted, blushing. "I look so happy with him. Was I happy with him?"

Bonnie squeezed Elena's hand and smiled, "Honestly?" When Elena nodded, Bonnie spoke again. "I've never seen you happier or more alive than when you were with Damon."

* * *

Damon wiped the blood away from his mouth with the back of his hand. His fangs protruded from his mouth like little sharp knives.

"Thanks for being so cooperative," Damon smirked, throwing the limp body he was holding to the ground. "Not that you had much of a choice. Compulsion's a bitch."

Damon scanned the area around him to make sure no one had seen him. When he decided the coast was clear, he made his way out of the alley onto the busy street.

"I thought I might find you here." Damon turned quickly, finding himself face-to-face with his younger brother, Stefan. "I think we need to grab a drink, _Brother_."

"As much as I would love to grab a drink with you, Stef," Damon pushed his brother out of the way and continued down the street, "I'm afraid I've got plans."

"And how do you think Elena would feel about your _plans_?" Stefan replied, crossing his arms against his chest, "Or about that poor man you bled dry back there?"

Damon stopped in his tracks at the sound of Elena's name. It had been weeks since he had heard it. He had been honouring her wish to stay away the only way he knew how: turning off his emotions and avoiding Mystic Falls at all costs.

"Yeah, well," Damon turned to face his brother again, a venomous smile spread across his face. "Elena made her choice. She doesn't want me in her life anymore."

Before Stefan could protest and tell him that he was overreacting and being irrational, Damon had disappeared into the crowd. Stefan ran as fast as he could in the direction that Damon was going, scanning all the faces around him in search of his brother but to no avail. He was already long gone.

* * *

"Stefan?" Elena was shocked to see the younger Salvatore on her door step so late at night. He lingered awkwardly outside her doorway, looking as if he had something to say but couldn't quite find the words. "What are you doing here so late?"

"I'm sorry to intrude on you like this, but I need your help." Stefan sounded desperate, "Can I come in?"

Elena shifted her weight uncomfortably from one foot to another. She knew that Jenna wouldn't be pleased that Elena had company over so late, a boy no less, but Stefan looked desperate.

"Sure, come on in." Elena opened the door wider and stepped aside so Stefan could enter. He smiled at her thankfully before taking his jacket off and taking a seat on the couch. The house was quiet, except for the subtle creaks of the floorboards. Elena took her time closing the door and walking over to join Stefan in the living area. She hadn't spoken to Stefan since she had been discharged from the hospital, considering that he was Damon's brother. It felt wrong speaking to Stefan when she had asked his brother to stay away.

"What's going on?" Elena asked finally, the silence suddenly becoming too much for her.

Stefan finally lifted his gaze from the ground in front of him and looked at Elena. He looked helpless and looked just as uncomfortable as Elena was. It was clear that he didn't want to be there as much as Elena didn't want him there. Not because they didn't like each other, but because it felt wrong to be around each other while Damon was elsewhere.

"It's Damon." Stefan begun, his face serious. "He needs you."

"Is he okay?" Elena's heart started to race. She was shocked by how worried she was about Damon, someone who was technically a stranger to her.

"Not exactly," Stefan sighed as his gaze once again dropped to the floor, "He flipped his humanity switch."

Elena was no stranger to the concept of vampires and their humanity switches. One of her best friends, Caroline Forbes, was a vampire. When her mother died a couple of years ago, Caroline turned her humanity off and went on a rampage, killing innocent people and hurting those closest to her – including Elena. Stefan finally managed to get Caroline to turn her humanity back on and after a long few months, everything went back to normal. But Elena had never witnessed any other vampire with their humanity off. She had a feeling that Caroline's rampage was mild compared to other, much older vampire's.

"Bonnie told me today that Damon would do anything for me," Elena whispered, lifting her knees up onto the couch and hugging them. "I guess the least I can do is return the favour. How can I help?"

Stefan smiled gratefully at Elena. He wasn't initially sure that she would agree to help someone she couldn't even remember, but he knew now that the love she and Damon shared was not usual. It was a love he had never seen before, but now he had hope that it might just be enough to get his brother to switch his humanity back on.

"Before you agree to come with me, I need you to promise that you won't give up on Damon. No matter what happens." Stefan pleaded, staring at Elena seriously. "And that you won't let him give up on you either."

"I won't." Elena responded quickly, not even sure how the words escaped her mouth. She was suddenly overcome with emotion. It didn't seem rational to her but she suddenly felt a strong love towards Damon and a strong need to help him. Although it didn't make sense, considering she couldn't remember anything about him, it felt right to her. Elena knew, in that moment, that she would do anything to help Damon. "I won't give up on him, Stefan. I promise."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Thank you for the reviews on the previous chapters! I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story so far.


	4. Chapter 4

"Where do you think he is?" Elena spoke for the first time in what felt like an hour. She and Stefan had left Mystic Falls earlier that morning, embarking on their journey to find Damon. Elena didn't know exactly how long they had been driving but it felt like forever.

"I can't be sure…" Stefan replied softly, "But I have a feeling he's gone to visit his old friend Klaus."

"Klaus?" The name didn't ring any bells for Elena. "Did I know Klaus?"

"No, and be thankful that Damon never introduced the two of you." Stefan laughed darkly before continuing, "He only visits Klaus when his humanity is off."

"I'm guessing you aren't a big fan?" Elena raised an eyebrow at Stefan.

"Let's just say Klaus isn't my favourite person in the world."

Elena sunk back into her seat and turned to look out the window. Stefan was driving fast, making the trees flash by like a green blur. She had agreed to go with Stefan so suddenly, without even thinking. She didn't truly consider how dangerous this all could be.

"Am I safe with you?" Elena turned to face Stefan, examining his facial expression in search of an honest answer. She watched as his face went hard.

"I honestly don't know," He whispered, not able to meet Elena's eyes. He kept his gaze on the road. "All I know is that Damon would never let anything happen to you. Not even with his humanity off."

The rest of the drive to New Orleans was shared in silence. Neither Elena nor Stefan had anything more to say. All either of them could think about was what they were getting themselves into. And neither of them even knew exactly what that was.

* * *

"Now there's a face I haven't seen around here in a _very_ long time."

Damon watched as a familiar figure slipped into the seat next to him, signalling the bartender over.

"Klaus." Damon smiled mischievously, "Fancy seeing you here, old friend."

"I live here." Klaus laughed, taking a sip of his drink. "I run this whole damn city. But you knew that already. What are _you_ doing here, mate?"

"Can't a guy just come and visit an old friend without being interrogated?" Damon took a big sip of his drink before slamming it back down on the bar. He signalled the bartender for a refill. Klaus studied his old friend, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. He watched Damon closely, trying to figure out why he was here for the first time in at least 3 years. The last time Klaus checked, Damon was living happily in Mystic Falls. He had even heard that Damon had a new girlfriend. The first one since he had his heart broken by his ex.

"Where's the girl then?" Klaus asked, smiling mockingly. "A little birdy told me that you were all loved up with some girl in Mystic Falls."

Damon stiffened. His grip tightened around the glass in his hand, causing it to break into little pieces. Klaus raised his eyebrows but said nothing.

"Let's just say she isn't in the picture anymore." Damon responded finally. He signalled the bartender for another refill, but the bartender wasn't looking. Without missing a beat, Damon was behind the bar with his fangs protruding into the bartender's neck. He didn't like to be kept waiting. Klaus quickly compelled the other customers in the bar to forget what they had just seen and to leave the bar immediately.

"I see what's going on," Klaus ripped Damon off of his best bartender before throwing him across the room. "You had your heart broken again and now you've switched your humanity off. Am I right, mate?"

Damon groaned before picking himself off of the ground. Klaus fed his blood to the bartender before compelling him to go home and forget that Damon had just tried to kill him. It was just the two of them left in the bar now. Klaus signalled for Damon to sit with him again.

"You're here because you want to let loose. Cause some trouble. Maybe even kill some innocent people…" Klaus continued, an evil smile occupying his lips. "Well, you came to the right place. Welcome back to New Orleans, Damon."

* * *

After driving for a full day, spending a night at a hotel and driving some more, Stefan and Elena had finally made it to New Orleans. It was a lot quieter than Elena had imagined. There weren't many people out on the streets, and the people that she did see seemed zombie like: they looked drained and walked around very, very slowly.

"They've all been compelled by Klaus." Stefan explained when he saw how confused Elena looked. "If you're not a vampire in this town, you're pretty much just a human blood bag."

Elena's eyes widened. She watched as a woman walked into a store, just to exit again. The woman didn't look particularly lost but continued to walk around aimlessly anyway.

"They don't have any identities anymore. Klaus made sure of that." Stefan continued, "When they aren't being used for their blood, they just walk around with nothing to do."

Elena's heart sunk as she watched people walk from shop to shop. They didn't even bother to browse before exiting and moving onto the next one. They were literally just walking around, killing time until they were needed by a vampire.

"Hide!" Stefan suddenly grabbed Elena's arm and pulled her into an alley way. He leaned around the wall to look back onto the street, his face sinking. Elena peeked around the wall too, her mouth dropping open when she realised what Stefan was looking at.

"Is that Damon?" Elena gasped as she watched a tall figure in a leather jacket sink his teeth into the neck of an innocent woman.

"That's Damon." Stefan sighed, looking away. He advised Elena to do the same. It took her a moment to tear her eyes away, too shocked by what she was seeing. Elena was friends with vampires. She was dating one, before she forgot she had ever met him. But she hardly ever saw them attacking an innocent human. All of the vampires she knew avoided drinking straight from the source and opted for blood bags instead.

"He looks like a monster…" Elena commented quietly. When she had agreed to go with Stefan to help Damon, she had felt an unexplainable love for him. An unexplainable need to help him. But now, seeing him like this, Elena felt nothing but fear towards Damon. Stefan looked at Elena sadly, wondering to himself if bringing her along with him really was the best idea. He no longer saw love in her eyes – the love that he thought could bring his brother back. All he saw in her eyes was an intense fear of Damon.

"Stay here. Don't move, okay?" Stefan gave Elena one last look before moving back out onto the street. Elena watched on as Stefan suddenly appeared at Damon's side, ripping his brother off of the helpless woman.

"What the hell?" Damon got up and quickly threw his brother across the street in frustration. Just as he was about to inflict more pain onto Stefan, Elena stepped out from around the wall causing Damon to stop in his tracks. It was the first time he had seen Elena in weeks. He could see the fear in her eyes as he wiped the blood away from his mouth. Stefan groaned as he pulled himself off of the ground, his eyes widening at Elena.

"I told you not to move, Elena!" Stefan yelled, quickly appearing at her side. He stood in front of her protectively, not sure how Damon might react.

"What is _she_ doing here, Stefan?" Damon finally tore his eyes away from Elena, staring angrily now at his younger brother.

"We've come to take you home." Stefan responded confidently, "Come home, brother."

" _We_?" Damon laughed, "Last time I checked, Elena couldn't even remember who I was. And, while I'm being honest, she looks pretty scared of me right now."

Elena flinched at Damon's directness. He wasn't afraid to say exactly how he felt. But nothing he said was wrong. The last time she had seen Damon, Elena told him that she didn't know who he was. Not long after, she decided she wanted Damon to keep his distance. It was because of her that Damon was in New Orleans in the first place.

"Well she's here now, brother," Stefan said finally, "And she wants you to come home. Don't you, Elena?"

The Salvatore brothers both turned to look at Elena. Her heart was suddenly in her throat, making it hard for her to swallow properly. She didn't know what to say. When she first left Mystic Falls to look for Damon, she had felt a strong need to help him. She couldn't understand it, but it was there. Now, after seeing him attack an innocent woman, that need was replaced by fear.

"Judging by her silence and that look of fear, I'm going to say no." Damon said, smirking. His voice was hard, but Elena swore she saw a flicker of sadness in his eyes. It was soon replaced by an icy stare directed at Stefan.

"I'm going to need a second, Stef." Damon lunged at Stefan and quickly snapped his neck. Elena gasped as she watched Stefan fall to the ground. Her heart was beating out of her chest as Damon appeared right in front of her, his face inches from hers.

"Don't be afraid." He ordered, his hands on her face. Elena suddenly felt calm and stared back into Damon's eyes. The iciness had been replaced by warmth and a love that Elena couldn't remember ever seeing before.

"I love you, Elena." Damon whispered gently, not moving his hands from her face. "But I can't pretend to be happy when the love of my life can't even remember who I am."

Elena said nothing but continued to look into Damon's eyes.

"I need you to forget you ran into me tonight." Damon continued, his face hard. "As soon as Stefan wakes up, ask him to take you home to Mystic Falls. Don't take no for an answer. I can't have you two ruining my fun here in New Orleans."

Damon reluctantly removed his hands from Elena's face and disappeared down the street. Elena shut her eyes momentarily. She suddenly felt her legs give in underneath her, causing her to fall to the ground. Her head was spinning… until everything finally went black.

* * *

 _Flashback: A Year Ago_

"You look beautiful." Damon appeared at Elena's door, admiring his beautiful girlfriend. Elena was finishing last minute touch-ups for the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant. She was wearing a long, blue dress that complimented her figure nicely. Damon couldn't take his eyes off of her. She looked stunning.

"You don't look so bad yourself." Elena responded, turning to admire her undeniably handsome boyfriend. It wasn't often that she got to see him in a suit. She couldn't deny that it was a nice change from his usual tight jeans and leather jackets. Not that she didn't love him in a leather jacket… it was just nice to see him dressed up every now and again too.

"Yeah, well, I don't wear a suit for just anyone." Damon winked, leaning against the door frame. "I must really love you."

Elena felt her heart skip a beat, "What did you just say?"

Damon narrowed his eyes and tilted his head, confused. Did Elena not hear him?

A small smile crept onto Elena's lips, "Did you just say that you love me?"

Damon furrowed his eyebrows as he watched his girlfriend stand up from her seat and walk over to him. He stood up properly as she approached, admiring the way the dress fell against her body. When Elena was close enough, she wrapped her arms around Damon's neck, breaking out into a huge smile.

"That's the first time you've told me you love me." Elena said happily, butterflies filling her stomach.

"Verbally anyway," Damon replied, wrapping his arms around Elena's waist and pulling her into him, "I much prefer to express my love to you physically in my bed."

"Don't ruin the moment, Damon!" Elena laughed, punching her boyfriend jokingly in the chest.

The two of them stood in silence for a few minutes, just holding each other. Neither of them wanted the moment to end. It wasn't until Bonnie came to give them a five-minute warning that the ceremony was starting that they spoke again.

"I love you, Damon Salvatore." Elena said warmly, leaning in to kiss her boyfriend. She felt shivers through her entire body when his mouth slowly opened into hers.

* * *

Elena groaned as she slowly gained consciousness. Stefan was already awake, sitting up beside her.

"You're finally awake." He said gently, "Are you okay?"

"I just had the weirdest dream…" Elena responded, furrowing her eyebrows. "Damon and I were at the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant… He told me he loved me for the first time."

Stefan's eyes widened slightly, a small smile creeping onto his lips. Elena raised an eyebrow up at him, willing him to speak.

"I don't think that was a dream, Elena." Stefan explained, smiling wider. "I think you're getting your memories back."


End file.
